Loki imprisoned
by SubtleLux
Summary: Loki is locked in a cell in asgard with only a serving girl as company. Can she bring him out of the darkness?
1. Chapter 1

He was not suited for imprisonment. He was meant to be a King, and this was the lowest that anyone could have possibly brought him. He was a captive, but he was a well-kept captive if he was forced to admit it, even to himself. He was vaguely surprised when he was not thrown in the darkest and most inaccessible dungeon in all of Asgard. Of course it was inaccessible, but it was far from being dreary or completely unpleasant. There were no windows or ornamentation of any kind, and the furnishings were sparse but not uncomfortable which; was more than he had expected.

Loki sat, on the edge of the plain bed with his hands clasped on his knees, and he tried very hard not to think of anything. He was not chained, but the clasp that was attached to his face was still there, it was only removed when it was time for him to eat or his brother came to talk to him. Which thankfully was not as often as it once was, in the beginning when they first returned from earth his brother would spend hours with Loki; alternating between talking and yelling at him and Loki doing the same. Of course, with his brother not returning as frequently to his cell he would go days without talking to anyone. His thoughts were his only companion.

Loki lifted his head and scanned the walls of the bleak prison. Giving up on trying to sleep he got up and began to walk the circumference of the cell. He felt the rage at his imprisonment rise up inside him like a living beast, threatening to overwhelm him. He stopped and clasped his hands in front of him almost as if he was in prayer and let the rage wash over him. It was sweet, all encompassing, and he let it take him over till his vision swam red with it. He trembled as it came over him, but it gave him strength and purpose and he nursed it with care. His rage was his only friend now.

Behind him the door to his cell slid open and the serving girl came in with a tray of food. He did not turn to face her until he heard the gentle ringing metal sound of the tray being set onto the table. He unclasped his hands and turned to the table and his evening meal. The girl backed away from the table as he approached and took a seat. He put his hands on the table and straightened his back and neck and waited. Once she saw that his hands were safely on the table the girl came up to his side and began to unfasten the clasp that covered his mouth. Her hands were sure and swift and the clasp came off in a few seconds. She clasped it in her hands backed away, keeping her eyes down and remaining silent. He ignored her completely and focused on his meal.

When he was finished he placed his hands on the table and the girl came up behind him and refastened the clasp in complete silence. Only once it was completely on, only then did she pick up the tray and begin to walk out the door. Loki remained seated and did not turn to watch her leave.

The morning came slowly for Loki, there were no windows or time keeping devices so he measured time by the meals that he was served. He knew it was morning because he heard the door open and the sound of the girls skirt swishing across the room to the table, followed by the sound of the tray being set on the table. Loki remained seated on the end of the bed, eyes closed and hands clasped on his lap. The girl was silent, and Loki suddenly realized that in the weeks of his captivity that she had never uttered a word or even looked him in the eyes. That was completely fine with him. He sat there for a few minutes and did not move. He heard the rustling of the dress as the girl shifted uneasily waiting for him to move. She gave a light and slightly insistent cough, which made Loki smile beneath his clasp; it had been days since he had irritated anyone.

"You should eat," he heard a quiet voice say and his eyes snapped open. He had not expected her to speak. He turned and gave her an appraising look, like a man who was looking over a piece of meat. She still stood by the table with her eyes downcast and her hands down by her sides as if she had said nothing. Loki stood up slowly and took his time walking to the table and came right up to the girl. He sized her up, which he had never had the done before now he realized. She was shorter than him, and if she lifted her head she would just come up to his chin. Her hair was dark and her skin was pale against the dark brown of the simple and unadorned serving dress. After taking a final scathing gaze at the top of her head he sat down and waited for her to unclasp him. Her hands were as sure and swift and always and in seconds he was free and able to eat. After he was done the girl moved to fasten the clasp on his mouth again. He had forgotten to straighten up his head and neck so the girl had to lean forward to attach it which brought the length of her forearm against his cheek. It made him freeze, it was the first time in weeks that he had been touched, and more than a year since a woman had touched him even by accident. It shocked him long enough that he couldn't react so he did not have time to turn and see her leave.

When the noon came he was pacing around the circumference of his cell, waiting for his meal because it was the only distraction that he had. He began at one end of the cell and made his way around the circumference of the cell, then turned back around and began his walk again. Rage and helplessness at his situation rolled over him and he felt as if he would vomit. He chocked down his anger, if he vomited with the clasp still on his face he would probably choke and even from the afterlife the indignity of it would follow him. Instead he pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. When the door opened again he turned expectantly, any distraction from his thoughts was welcome. He was somewhat disappointed to see it was the serving girl with the noon meal, at least Thor would give him the chance to yell at him. Her eyes were downcast and as she settled the tray into its familiar place she stepped away and waited in silence. He walked over and sat down at the table as the girl undid his clasp, taking extra care to wait till he straightened his neck and avoiding any contact with his skin. When she was done he looked down at his meal and scowled. He turned around in his chair in such a swift motion that it scrapped harshly against the floor which scared the girl. She jumped and backed away from the sudden noise and she looked briefly into his eyes, and he could see that he did indeed scare her. He grinned at her even as she turned her eyes down to once again look at the floor. "I am not eating this cud, you filthy Trollope. Take it out of my sight before it sickens me," he screamed it hoarsely and Loki realized that it had been days since he had spoken. The sound of his own voice gave him some strength, and he turned just as swiftly in his chair to face the wall opposite her and ignored her completely. He sat still as she came up to him and refastened the clasp on his face. Without making a sound she picked up his tray and left the room.

It was over an hour till the girl returned with a tray of food, and when she did she put it down on the table with an air of finality. Loki was again seated at the foot of the bed with his eyes closed listening to sound of her skirts rustle. She coughed in an effort to get his attention but he remained silent and grinned behind his mask. He didn't look up when he heard the sound of her footsteps approaching him and he sensed her standing directly in front of him. He felt rather than heard her as she sat down on the bed beside him. He opened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at her. It was the first time he had the chance to look her directly in the eyes and see her face. Her face was lovely and rosy cheeked, but Loki had seen more beautiful women than her, compared to others he had seen she was not memorable. It was her eyes that were surprising, they were a deep and intelligent grey; her eyes seemed fathomless as if they were looking right through him and something deep inside him wanted to turn from her gaze. She only took a moment for him to size her up before she leaned forward quickly and removed the mask from his face. She then settled the tray of food on her lap and busied herself stirring the soup that was part of his meal. She stirred the soup in a leisurely manner, as if she had all the time in the world. Loki stood still and glared at her, at the soup, and the world (and worlds) in general that when she quickly turned to face him she jumped ever so slightly. She was holding a large spoon up to his lips, its contents still lightly steaming. She looked into his eyes and said,"If you are going to act like a child then I will feed you like one." Her voice was hoarse, as if she had used it for a long time or was perhaps getting over a cold. A combination of her finally speaking and being treated as if he were an infant made him momentarily speechless. Then in a rush of anger he slapped the spoon and stood from the bed in one fluid motion. He snarled at the girl, not yet forming words but glaring at her like a crazed animal. She let out a slight yelp and snatched back her hand, looking at his face with open fear and trepidation on her face. "Please," she said,"you have to eat something to keep your strength." Loki continued to glare at her and in a sudden wave of light headedness, of exhaustion or perhaps his own helplessness, he felt himself begin to black out and fall to the floor. He didn't lose consciousness, at least he did not believe he did, but the next thing he realized was the girl was there at his side holding his shoulders so he wouldn't hit his head on the floor. She still had fear in her eyes, but she gripped him strongly and held him steady. To Loki the room was spinning and he gripped his head in his hands as his head began to throb.

This time he did lose consciousness, because the next thing he knew he was in bed with the girl beside him. "You blacked out," she said as she gripped his wrist and pressed two fingers against it, getting a pulse. Her touch was feather light, and if he hadn't seen her holding his hand he would not have known she was there. "You need to rest, really rest I mean, your mind and body are strained from being locked up," she said as she laid his hand back down onto the bed. She even gave his hand a reassuring squeeze like you would a small child. "I am going to mix up something that will help you sleep deeply." She looked in his eyes and gave a small smile as she turned to the tray of food she had placed on the end of the bed. She picked up the goblet and reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a small amount of what looked like dried flowers. She held them in her hand, gave them a small sniff, then added it to the goblet after crushing them in her hand. She gave the goblet a tiny swirl and smiled into its depths as if she liked what she saw. She leaned over and held the drink over his prone form. "Here let me help you sit up." Using the hand that was not holding the goblet she reached under his head and gently raised him up. Her grip was gentle but firm; and she lightly cradled his head as if she thought he was going to break. She lowered the goblet to his lips so he could drink. He did this without complaint for he was ashamed at his own weakness; he wanted the wine and whatever was in them to take him away from reality if only for a few hours.

He drank it all in a few gulps and after it was empty she carefully laid his head back onto the pillow. Loki had always been the kind of man to respond with anger or malice at the slightest provocation, and now was no different. As the girl pulled her hand away he reached out and gripped it with surprising strength. Her eyes darted to the hand gripped on her wrist but made no move to free herself. He gripped her wrist tighter but she did not seem as if she was in any discomfort. She turned and looked him dead in the eye. He returned her gaze as he held on, he could feel her pulse beat a steady rhythm against his hand and he felt the warmth of her skin. He realized that this was the most contact he had had with another living sole in a very long time. He hadn't actually touched another person since he had fallen off the bifrost. At that realization he loosened his grip but did not let go of her. He felt very sad suddenly, and very alone and empty. All the while he felt the warm skin of the girl against his, her blood beating in her veins as he held her wrist. "It's alright," she said lightly as she finally freed herself from his grip. She laid his hand down and slipped her hand into his, giving it a light and reassuring squeeze. "You will sleep well and then you get back your strength." She smiled then, a bright smile and Loki was almost inclined to believe her as he finally slipped into a drug induced slumber.

She stayed there for a few more minutes to make sure he was really asleep. She had given him enough herbs to ensure he would sleep till morning. She checked his pulse one more time, and felt his forehead. She hesitated for a second, than she very lightly brushed a few stray hairs away from his face. After that she turned and grabbed the tray and walked out of the room without once looking back at the sleeping man.

Once outside the room she entered a long and well lit hallway with high ceilinged bronze colored walls reaching up well over 50 feet. In addition there were many armed guards patrolling or guarding the hallway, some stationed at the entrance to the cell and others interspersed at regular intervals along the its' length. The guards watched her as she walked but she kept her head straight and did not meet any of their gazes, she was not allowed to do so. When she finally reached the middle of hallway, some hundred feet from the cell, she came to a smaller door off to the right hidden inside an alcove. She walked up to the simple and unadorned door and knocked with her free hand and waited to be let inside. When it was opened she was quickly ushered inside by several armed and rough looking guards who regarded her with suspicion. In addition there were several older women who gave her slight nods as she walked up to them. One of the elderly women came to take the tray away, which freed up both her arms which she then held out straight off to her sides. She knew the drill and simply waited patiently. She was frisked quickly by the guards and her pockets turned inside out to make sure nothing had been sneaked into her pockets. After being patted down she had to remove her outer dress, even this she was not allowed to do herself, it was the job of the elder woman in front of her. The woman lifted the dress up and over her head, as gentle as possible and not unkindly. Underneath she was wearing a plain and thin linen under shirt. It covered what was necessary and not much else and it left her shivering in the cold of the room. Still, she did not complain at this. She did blush unconsciously at being so sparsely clothed and being under the scrutiny of the male guards behind her. She had known both of the men since they were all children and she was sure their gaze was not an inappropriate one, but she was still embarrassed.

The elderly woman went through a lengthy process of checking her for any kind of enchantment or other mind control. She checked her eyes, her mouth and ran her hands over her body looking for irregularities or strange bruising. Then she was handed a small glass vial that contained a dark purple substance, it was a tiny sample of truth serum, one she had to take every day before she was allowed to speak. She swallowed it quickly, it tasted like old beets, and gagged as it went down her throat. "Amora needs to make a better tasting serum," she said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I will make sure she takes that into consideration next time," the elderly woman said with a slight laugh. "Now tell me Sigyn, was there any speaking or physical contact with our Prince," she asked lightly. Sigyn nodded. "Yes, today was the first day he has spoken to me since his imprisonment. Also, I had to touch him to take his pulse and he also grabbed my hand." The woman raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "I suppose that this should be a sign of improvement," the woman said as she searched Sigyns' eyes. "I hope it does, I would like if he began to speak more, even if it is just his snide remarks," Sigyn said with a somewhat hopeful voice. "Should I try to talk to him again or wait for him to initiate the conversation?" The other woman continued to look into Sigyns' eyes, and then when Sigyn thought she would not answer the woman nodded her consent.

In the morning, or what passed for morning in his imprisonment, Loki returned to consciousness with reluctance. He felt worn down and still deeply tired, almost as if he had not slept at all. He must have woken in the night at some point because he had stripped down to his pants only. When he began to rise from his bed he realized that he was bare chested and the cold in the room made him shiver. He rubbed his head and shook it in an attempt to clear away the sleep left in his head. It wasn't until he heard a small cough that he turned his head to look at his surroundings. The girl was there standing beside the table with a full plate of food. She even looked directly into his face and smiled which was new. Instead of keeping her head down and not meeting his eyes she looked into his expectantly. "You seem to have slept better," she said as she looked him over. "You will seem groggy for awhile, it's a sides effect of such strong herbs, but it will wear off." She smiled again and gestured to the tray of food sitting on the table,"I knew you would be famished so I prepared more food than usual." He looked at the table and indeed it was piled high with food, complete with a pitcher full of either wine or water instead of a single goblet. Loki realized with a start that he was famished. He struggled to get out of bed but was still woozy from whatever she had given him. Suddenly he felt an arm on his shoulder, the girl had come right up to him without him noticing. "Please, let me help you," she said as she gently took his arm. If she was still afraid of him she did not let it show. She seemed eager to help. She gripped his left arm and helped to ease him out of bed and direct him to the table. "You must pardon me my prince," she said as she led him across the floor to the chair. "The herbs I gave you last night were really meant to be eaten with a meal." She guided him to the chair and he sat down heavily. "I even forgot to replace your mask from last," and she pointed to his face. He felt along his jawline, he hadn't even realized that it hadn't been put back on last night. "It's no matter, you don't need to wear it anymore," she said as she released her grip on his arm. She stepped back and watched him expectantly waiting for him to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki chose not to speak but openly regarded the girl as she stood beside him. This seemed to embarrass her, as he watched a slow blush began to creep up her cheeks and she turned her eyes down to break eye contact. He sneered and turned towards the food in front of him. He held himself back even though the only thing he wanted was to eat as quickly as he could. Loki ignored the girl, and even forgot she was there while he was eating. He was only reminded of her presence when she spoke suddenly. "My name is Sigyn, by the way my lord." She said in a rushed voice, almost as if she had wanted to say it for a while but was too afraid to speak. Loki was in the middle of bringing the goblet to his lips when she spoke. He turned to slowly look at her. Sigyn, as she said was her name, was giving him a slight smile as if she expected his to start a conversation. He took the time to look at her, really look at her. She was a slender young woman, she wore lose fitting gowns but the belt snug around her waist showed off her figure to nice effect. It was true that she was not the most beautiful he had ever seen, but she had a certain presence about her that he had not encountered before. It was a calm presence, and he supposed that was why she had been chosen to interact with him. Perhaps they thought she would be a calming influence. He set down his goblet then and turned to face her and gave her one of his most winning smiles. He motioned for her to come towards him and her small smile faltered a bit. He motioned again. "Come here girl, and let me see you." She looked uncertain, and after she looked backward to door as if seeking approval, she moved the few inches closer to Loki so she was close enough to touch. "Is there something that you need my lord?" She said as stood awkwardly in front of him. He smiled up at her from his chair so he could look into her clear gray eyes. They were rather beautiful eyes, like sea foam after a storm. "It's my head," he said noncommittally and made a vague motion to his head. Sigyns' eyes flashed concern at that she raised her hand to feel his forehead. As she moved so did Loki, quick as a snake he caught her wrist and refused to let go. She gasped slightly and brought up her other hand in an effort to free herself. Loki caught this one as well and held her firmly so she could not get free and applied pressure. She did not struggle after this, but instead looked him straight in the eye with apprehension. Loki's smile was gone and he stared into her eyes unflinchingly. "Are you going to beg me to let you go?" he asked quietly. Sigyn swallowed quickly," if I did would you let me go?" He tilted his head to the side, "No." He began to pull her down to him and she did not struggle. His grip was too strong and it would only hurt her more. Loki slowly pulled her onto his lap, pulling her arms to the side and back so it was almost a strange parody of hug. She sat down heavily on his lap as it was an awkward position and grunted with the effort. It wasn't so much that she was sitting on his lap as straddling him. The way he held her didn't allow for anything else. He kept bringing her closer and it was at this point that she began to feel afraid, and unable to do anything else looked down and focused on his neck. She could see his pulse beating in his jugular vein. Loki kept bringing her closer still so that she was n inch from his face and she could smell the wine on his breathe. He held her firmly and brought her close enough that he could smell her perfume, which smelled like fresh roses and cinnamon; it was comforting. She wasn't looking at him and he smiled at this. He enjoyed scaring her. "Why aren't you looking at me Sigyn? Aren't I your patient after all?" At this she looked up and studied his face. "You seem to be alright, your eyes are clear and your strength seems to have returned my lord." She was trembling slightly, her arms being held the way they were was beginning to take its toll on her. Loki grinned at her discomfort and began moving his head towards her own. Her eyes widened. Sigyn opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Loki trying to kiss her. She turned her head to avoid his lips and he ended up kissing her cheek instead. "Don't!" she said and tried to pull her head away. He laughed at her attempts at getting away. Suddenly he released one of her wrists and used his free hand to take hold of her chin and bring her face to his. Their lips met suddenly and Sigyn froze at the contact. Loki tried to part her lips with his and she let him. She tried to bite his lip but he laughed and pulled away still holding onto her chin. She had an expression that he had not seen before. It was defiance. "I said don't, Loki." Sigyns' voice was lower than it had been and it had a bite to it as she looked at him. He laughed at her defiance and brought her face back to his and kissed her again. This time he was aware of how she tasted, somewhat faintly of some kind of berry. She tasted sweet. It was then that she made use of her free hand and grabbed his throat, trying to push him away from her. At last he relented and let go of her face and arm, finally letting her pull away from him. She was off his lap in a second and backed away from him as if she afraid that he would grab her again. She gave him a glare that could have melted steel. He gave her a winning smile. "I am glad that you see I am getting better," he remarked as he turned back to the table and picked up his goblet. He ate in silence for a few minutes before he glanced back over at Sigyn. She was still glaring at him, but when she saw him looking she looked him dead in the eye. "Why did you feel the need to do that Loki? I have been nothing but kind to you, I did not deserve that." Loki brought up his goblet and waved it at Sigyn as if giving a toast. "You mean kiss you? Can't a man kiss a woman, especially a pretty one such as yourself?" She didn't blush at this the way he had anticipated or even look away from him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sigyn walked slowly back to her quarters under supervision from a trio of guards. Beyond going to and from Lokis' cell, the only time she was allowed out of her own room was when she was escorted to and from it. She tried to savor the last few minutes that she was able to walk around Asgard, even if it was under the watchful eye of the guard. She hummed silently and tunelessly to herself as she delicately touched the bronze plated walls to her left, for no other reason than just to feel the smooth bronze under her fingertips. When she and the guards finally reached her chambers another trio of guards was just leaving it. She knew that they were searching it, it was just a precaution brought on by the fact that she had such close contact with Loki and she had nothing to hide from them. Sigyn knew they would have gone through the few dresses she owned turning out the pockets, and thumbed through the books searching for anything hidden. In the beginning they had left everything out and about and turned over so she had to spend the better part of an hour setting her room in order. Recently they had made more of an effort to be orderly, perhaps out of guilt for the mess, but every now and then she would still find a dress turned inside out or her herb jars out of place on their shelves.

Sigyn waited patiently for them to clear the doorway, still humming to herself and touching the wall, before she could go into her room. She did not look up at them as they passed, she was not allowed to meet their eye in case she was under mind control, so she did not see the young guard smile down at her nor continue to watch as she walked into her room. She breathed a sigh of relief as the doors shut behind her. Yes, she was confined again until Lokis' next meal but at least she was in a place that she could at least call her own and feel secure. She made a circumference of the room checking to make sure that everything was in its rightful place. Her room was bare, almost as bare as the cell in which Loki resided, but it did have a few more amenities. She had a small wash room off to the side along with a table and shelves that housed the few medicinal herbs she possessed. In addition there was a small mat on the floor that served as a bed, a book case stuffed with books, and a chest that contained her three dresses; the only clothing she owned. She opened her chest and was pleasantly surprised that they were neat and folded even if the pockets were turned inside out. She touched each one individually to make sure. They were all simple and plainly adorned a grey, cream, and blue one; in addition to the brown one she wore now. Her vials were out of order but not as badly as they had been in the past and it only took a few moments to fix them. After placing the last bottle in its place she turned and faced the main focal point of her room, a large floor to ceiling window set into the far wall. She walked over to the window and pressed her left cheek and hands against the glass. Outside there was a storm. Rain splashed against the glass and lightning flashed and she could feel the glass vibrate under her. Sigyn wondered if that meant that Thor was angry. It always seemed to storm when he was upset, and Sigyn could guess what he was upset about. She stayed there against the glass until the cold began to seep into her skin. She tried hard not to think about Loki, but it was impossible. She could still taste the wince on her lips from his forced kiss. She pressed herself harder into the glass and shut her eyes. Loki. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't have ulterior motives for volunteering to be his one and only servant. She had watched him from afar all her life; she had grown up serving the house of Odin as her parents before her. Yet she was sure that neither Thor nor Loki had ever noticed her before. She had watched Loki grow up and looked up to him as so many of the other girls did. She never made an effort to approach either of the brothers as so many of the young serving girls did who flirted without effort or thought. Sigyn would hear later of the sometimes brief, and not so brief, encounters the girls had with Loki as they whispered and giggled into each other's ears behind closed doors. She would be lying if she said she had not been jealous or shocked that Loki had taken so many liberties with these girls. She would have held a kiss from him as a treasure or even a single moment of acknowledgement, but she had never sought it out because like so many things in life the fantasy would poison the reality.

Yet now, he had forced his kiss upon her and the reality was more than she could bear. She had not wanted him to force his kiss upon her, she felt ashamed as if thinking it had somehow make it happen. But that was not true she knew, he had changed and her desire had nothing to do with it. His harmless pranks had turned violent since before Thor had destroyed the Rainbow Bridge. It had been a terrifying time and when it was all over she learned what had happened. She knew what he was now and she had no delusions that she, a simple serving girl, could change anything that had happened to him. He needed his family. He needed forgiveness. And he needed to regret and finally atone for what he had done. No, Sigyn could not change him by herself and it would be foolish to think otherwise. She had volunteered because she still believed him to be capable of changing and making the right choices even if the other servants were too afraid to be anywhere near him. Thor still loved him. As did his father and mother. And, suddenly to herself, so did she even though she knew she would probably never be anything but a nuisance to him. But the only person who could change Loki was Loki himself. Sigyn finally pushed herself away from the window and rubbed her cheek that had started to numb from the cold. She walked over to the mat and began to undress for sleep. Still, she wondered to herself, if he had asked her for a kiss would she have given it? She shuddered again but not just from the cold.


	4. Chapter 4

Sigyn awoke to the sound of rain still hitting the window; she listened to it quietly as she savored the last few moments of warmth and rest that the bed offered her. She was reluctant to rise, she couldn't help it; she felt as if all the energy had been drained from her body. Sigyn sat up suddenly, decisively, and climbed from the bed yawning and stretching her arms above her head. She wiped the sleep from her eyes as she turned to face the dawn that was barely breaking over the horizon. The day was coming, and she had no choice but to face it

When the serving girl arrived with the morning meal Loki was already sitting at the table, looking for all the world like a well behaved child sitting down to breakfast. He even grinned broadly at her as she placed the tray of food in front of him. "Good day to you Sigyn," he said as he raised his fork in a mock salute. "Good day to you as well Loki, my lord." He grinned up at her from his plate. "And perhaps I could have a kiss as well," he enquired coyly as he looked up into her face. "If you touch me again without my permission than I will claw out one of your eyes," she very quietly and simply retorted as she backed up a foot from him, looking him dead in the eyes with as much confidence as she could muster. He barked out a quick laugh and turned to face her. "Am I to understand that you do not like to be kissed, my dear Sigyn?" She shook her head slightly, "not at all, but they are only pleasant when they are welcomed." She gestured to the plate of food before him. "You would gladly welcome a meal, but would you eat it so happily of it were forced down your throat?" He cocked his head to the side at the metaphor, then shrugged and turned back to his meal.

"I should also tell you that today you shall have a bath. Unless of course you have an objection to staying filthy?" Sigyn asked as she came to take the tray from him. Loki shook his head, if truth be known he was in desperate need of one, but had been too proud to ask for anything even if it was one concerning simple hygiene. He only thought this, instead he nodded at Sigyn and asked," If I take one will you scrub my back? This time it was Sigyns' turn to smile, "No my lord, but I will ask if any of the other guards would be willing to do so." And at that Loki did smile, quite against his will.


	5. Chapter 5

Sigyn walked down the hall carrying a large and cumbersome basket which was filled with a wide assortment of clean clothes, soaps, perfumes, and other bath products needed for a relaxing bath. She knew she had taken more than was actually required, but she also knew that Loki was fickle and easily changed his mind at the slightest provocation. Better to overburden herself now than be forced to run back and forth down the hall to his changeable whims.

Loki himself marched ahead of Sigyn and the guards, almost as if he were leading some kind of festive parade. In fact he did look happier than he had in a while, but Sigyn supposed that if she had gone as long as he had without a bath she'd be excited as well. She was accompanied as well by no less than four guards all of whom were trailing behind her and Loki. One of them saw that she was struggling with the basket of clothes and made a gesture that he could carry it for her, but she smiled and without meeting his eyes shook her head. The guards were not allowed to actually touch her or meet her eyes; this one had seemed to forget that in his quest to be chivalrous.

The baths themselves were actually a sight to see because they encompassed an entire room the size of a house. The bath itself was the size of a swimming pool and meant to be used as one if the bather so chose. The entire room was done in a wide range of pleasing blues, creams, and white tile that covered every square inch of the room. The bath itself, though huge, was already heated and steam was coming off the surface of the water. When Loki saw it he smiled, a genuine one at that, clapped his hands with more enthusiasm than she had seem in days and immediately began to strip. Sigyn blushed involuntarily and looked up at the ceiling because it seemed the safest place for her eyes to be. She was also aware that the guards were leaving her and Loki alone, just as in the past she was the only one allowed to have contact with him. If any of the guards had qualms about leaving her alone in a room with a naked Loki they did not show it.

Loki was enjoying himself immensely. He was still peeling off his clothes when he looked back at Sigyn. He was surprised to see her looking so intently at the ceiling, usually when he was stripping in front of a woman she couldn't take her eyes off of him. But then, Loki realized with a start, he hadn't come across anyone like Sigyn before. He grinned at her upturned face, "Care to join me my dear Sigyn?" "No thank you, I prefer to take my baths alone," she said without once meeting his eyes. He grinned at her as he turned back to the bath and made began taking off the rest of his clothes. Loki made a show of it almost, dropping each piece slowly on the ground so that it made as much sound as possible. He turned one last time to look at Sigyn before sliding into the heated bath. Sigyn let out a sigh as she finally heard the splash and sat down the basket at her feet which she had been unconsciously gripping tightly. She massaged her hands until she felt a splash of water hit her face. She let out a tiny gasp and looked to see Loki at the edge of the bath, head resting on his forearms as he regarded her intently. He extended his arm suddenly and simply said, "Soap." She dug into the basket at pulled out at least a dozen different soaps of varying colors and scents and handed them over to him. She had been right about his fickle nature; he rejected all of them except for one green soap that had a scent like fresh cut grass and spring. After taking the soap he plunged back under the water like some kind of fish. Content that Loki was fully concentrating on his bath Sigyn dug into the basket and began to pull out the clothes and arrange them neatly where he could pick out something that he liked. She had at least a dozen outfits a majority of which were green since that seemed to be his favorite color with a few others mixed in for good measure. It was at that time that she realized that she didn't hear any splashing or any kind of movement from the bath at all and she turned at studied the surface of the water intently. She let out a gasp and hurried over to the water's edge searching for Loki. She knelt down and plunged her right hand into the water hunting for Loki when suddenly something took a firm grip on her forearm and pulled her in. Sigyn opened her mouth to scream put only got a mouth full of hot water and bubbles. The grip on her arm let go and she rose up to the surface sputtering as Loki laughed. Sigyn wiped her eyes and glared at Loki with as much contempt as possible before she too burst out laughing. This seemed to surprise Loki for a second before he too began to laugh even harder. She splashed at him in retaliation before trying to climb out of the bath. When she was halfway out Loki took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her back into the bath. She laughed again until she realized that he was undoing the ties on the back of her dress and Sigyn let out a yelp. "What are you doing? Stop!" She tried to twist away but he took his left hand and gripped her wrists in front of her while his right hand continued to undo the ties at the back of her dress. She stopped struggling and her heart raced as she tried as calmly as possible to think of a way out of the situation. The last of her ties came away and Loki let go of her arms so he could pull her arms out of her sleeves and her water laden dress fell into the bath. She stood there in her simple white underdress when Loki suddenly gripped her neck with his right hand and pulled her close. Sigyn wondered briefly if the guards could hear her cry out if she screamed or if she could actually fight her way free. Loki tightened his grip on her neck and bent to whisper in her ear. "You couldn't have gotten out of the bath with your dress soaking in water like that; you should be able to get out now." He let go of her neck and Sigyn stumbled forward and climbed out of the bath, with complete ease she realized, and turned back to look at Loki. But his back was turned to her and he was happily soaping up his chest and hair as if nothing had happened. She tried to think of something smart or scathing to say, decided against it, and instead fished her dress out of the water.

They had been in the bath for what felt like hours, but there was nothing wrong with that as there were no other tasks for the day for either of them. Either way it was enough time for Sigyn's dress to dry out and put back on while Loki bathed and swam and even spent time in the sauna. He even spent a considerable amount of time deciding on what cologne to wear. In the meantime she had to wear one of the outfits she had brought for Loki, a simple brown and cream tunic that she was certain he wouldn't have wanted anyway. She slipped back into her dress while Loki toweled himself dry after pampering himself and approached the clothes that were laid out. "What's this one?" Loki asked her, she turned to look at what he held. It was the tunic that she had worn shortly before, he hadn't seen her in it as after the incident in the bath she had steered clear of his line of sight while her clothes dried. "I had to wear that while my dress was drying, I choose it because I thought you would have liked it least." She added the last bit as a kind of justification. "You thought wrong dear Sigyn" he said suddenly serious, "this is the one that I want to wear." Her eyes widened at that declaration, "but I have already worn that, are you sure you don't want something else?" He just nodded and began to take off his towel and she had just enough time to avert her eyes before he was naked again.

After dressing in clean clothes and having such a relaxing bath Loki felt better than he had in ages. Even teasing Sigyn had proved amusing, he almost regretted letting her go from the bath. He wondered what she would have done if he hadn't let her go, or if he had continued to strip her down? Probably gouge out one of his eyes if he was honest with himself. Yes, it was better that he had let her go. The long trek back to his chambers was uneventful. Sigyn did walk next to him this time which was a nice change of pace from her walking behind him with her head down and eyes averted. When they finally reached his chambers Sigyn did something that she hadn't done before. She punched him in the shoulder, not as hard as she could have but still it surprised him more than hurt him. "What was that for?" He asked her in surprise. "For getting my dress wet and for scaring me in the bath." She met his eyes and refused to look away so it seemed like she was challenging him. "At least I didn't try and kiss you this time," he said as he walked into his room.

When he went into his room Amora was waiting for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Loki swallowed his surprise at the sight of the enchantress and snapped his neck around to see if the others had seen Amora sitting so nonchalantly at the edge of his bed. As soon as the thought entered his head he realized it was foolish, Amora could remain unseen if she wished even in a crowded room, such was the extent of her power. The door was closing behind him and Sigyn and guards were safely behind it, they wouldn't have seen her even if they had been in the room. Amora rose from the bed and advanced towards him with arms outstretched as if she were welcoming home a lover. Which, if Loki was being honest, at one time they were lovers till he found out that the foul minded witch had just been using him to get close to Thor who was the true object of her affections. He almost choked at the thought and fought the almost overpowering urge to wrap his hands around her throat. Instead he did neither and smiled his most winning smile. "What took you so long my old love?" Amora smiled widely and stopped just in front of him and her hands dropped to her sides as if she could sense that he did not want to be touched.

She put her hands on her hips and examined him as he examined her in turn. She was beautiful, as always, and Loki had never been sure how much of it was real and how much of it witchcraft. Fair, tall, blonde, and always clothed in green (in fact he got his attachment to the color from his old lover) and a figure trim with a waist slender enough for him to encircle his hands around if he wished. At the moment he did not feel like doing such a thing. She reached out suddenly and took hold of his collar. "What are you wearing my former prince? Brown does not suit you at all," she said with a flourish as she turned and made her way back to the bed. She sat down and patted the area next to her suggestively but Loki ignored her and sat down at the table instead. "There are many things recently that do not seem to suit me," he replied as he sat down and faced Amora. The witch crossed her legs and gave him a scathing look. "That might be so, but that ugly little serving girl Sigyn seems to at least be a distraction for you," Amora stated calmly as she searched Loki's face. He did not say anything to that, except to have the barest of twitches of his mouth as he returned the scathing look. Amora suddenly laughed. "I've been watching you of course. Even though you can't see me I can see you if I wish. I am surprised the little wretch hasn't thrown herself at you like all the other girls you've come across." Loki merely smiled slightly but said nothing in return.

Amora rose again from the bed and came towards him. "But let us not talk about that right now. I am sure you want to know why I am here, isn't that right my former Lord." Amora advanced on him and brought her face to within an inch of his own and lightly grabbed his chin so he wouldn't have any choice but to look her in eyes, which were as green as the rest of her clothes. "I have come here to set you free my dear prince."


	7. Chapter 7

Sigyn lowered herself into the bathtub in her own private chambers and breathed a sigh of relief as the warm water washed over her body. Her hair was a mess from being dumped into the bath water with Loki, and her skin needed to be scrubbed to get off the soap residue. She could have done it in the larger bath chambers but did not trust Loki enough to be completely nude near him. She brushed at her hair and smiled despite herself. She had liked the playful Loki that she had seen for such a brief flash of time, but it had quickly been erased when he tried to gain the emotional upper hand. Removing her dress and scaring her like that were just ways for him to get some control, and she promised herself that she would not let him get the upper hand. And, if Sigyn was honest with herself, she had done a decent job of holding off Loki thus far. She personally knew women that had been taken in completely by Loki in much less time and had been left emotionally devastated because of it. She hoped she was strong enough to not become one of them. But what did it say about her that she could love someone like that? She knew what he was, what he had done, and what he was capable of; yet she was certain that there was a spark of goodness in him. Perhaps she was a fool, in which case she was in the perfect place for fools, perhaps Loki's prison term was punishment for both of their short comings. Sigyn scrubbed vigorously at her face and submerged herself in the water to purge her mind of these thoughts. She came up rubbing soap from her eyes but felt better for it.

She had brought the soaps that Loki had declined to use with her into the bath, it had seemed a shame to waste them, and she picked out a lovely lavender scented shampoo. "Enough of these thoughts, I have work to get done," she said out loud to herself. Her own voice reassured her, but left her feeling lonely. She wished there was someone else to talk to besides Loki, she could benefit from an actual conversation instead of the short ones she had with the former Prince. Sigyn shook her head and climbed out of the bath dripping yet and reaching for a towel. There was no use lamenting her fate, she had chosen it after all. No matter what the future decided to bring her way she had to realize that no one was responsible for it. She would have to face her own consequences.


	8. Chapter 8

Sigyn carried the evening meal on a tray and began her long trek towards Loki's chambers. She was barefoot and freshly washed and clothed as she carried the plate of food, the sound of her feet hitting the polished floor was the only sound in the hallway. It was a reassuring sound as otherwise it would be deathly quiet and the silence was menacing when you walked the hall alone. Her heart was fluttering and Sigyn tried to ignore the reason for those stirrings and focus on balancing the tray. The more time she spent in the presence of Loki the more she began to crave it, and her body responded to it regardless of what her mind told it to do. When she finally arrived at the entrance to Loki's room she had to wait patiently for the guards to open the door for her. She took a few deep calming breathes, and with a slight nod of thanks at the guard, walked through the doorway.

With the door open she rushed in and deposited the tray of food on the table with a relieved sigh. She stood up and rotated her shoulders and wrists, she had brought more food than she had intended and the plates were heavy. For some reason she thought the prince might be hungrier than normal. She had been so intent on setting down the tray that she hadn't even had the chance to great Loki yet, and she looked around trying to spot him in the room. She saw him sit up in bed where he had been resting apparently, which explained why she hadn't seen him at first.

Sigyn smiled at him as she stretched her arms above her head to work out the kinks in her back. "My lord, I didn't see….," but something in his expression made her stop mid-sentence. "Loki, what…," was all she could get out before a blinding pain blossomed in the small of her back, as if someone had stabbed her with a white hot poker.

She didn't even have a chance to scream, the pain was immediate, all consuming, and forced her to her knees before she could even really understand what was happening. She let out a tiny grunt as the air was driven from her lungs from the pain. Darkness and bright lights sparked at the edge of her vision and she thought she was about to die or at least lose consciousness. The pain did not lessen as she fell to the ground, and the immensity of it left her gasping on the floor.

She was still doubled over on the floor when she heard Loki's voice near her in a clear and stern voice yell, "ENOUGH!" At those words the pain suddenly stopped, and Sigyn rolled on to her side and tried as best she could to assume a defensive position, but she felt drained of strength and only managed to roll into a ball. What had happened? Had Loki attacked her? But he had been across the room when the pain hit her, and who had he yelled at? Was he yelling at her? Telling her to stop resisting as he tried to kill her? All of these thoughts slowly floated through her pain lanced brain as she tried to pull herself together. The initial shock was wearing off, and in its place a dull and aching throb took place in her midsection. To Sigyn it felt like her insides were trying to fall apart. A small groan of pain escaped her but she bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood. She wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of hearing her cry out in pain if she could help it.

She lifted herself up onto an elbow and look up at her attacker. Loki was there, his face red with anger that was not directed at her, but rather the beautiful blonde woman whose shoulders he clenched and shook. "That's enough Amora! I don't want her dead." Loki yelled into the womans' face.

Sigyn shook her head and focused her attention on the woman but her vision started to blur. She had only ever seen the sorcerous Amora once in her life, and it was from a distance as, she had known never to approach her unless absolutely necessary. In a moment of clarity she realized that it was Amora, not Loki, who had attacked her from behind. Sigyn tried to stand up and shout out a warning for the prince to get away from the sorcerous, but the sudden movement was more than her body could take at the moment. Against her will Sigyn felt her eyes roll back into her head and she felt her consciousness slip away as her head fell back and hit the floor with a dull smack.

******Thanks everyone for reading my story! I still have plenty more to write, and any questions/comments/suggestions are always welcome. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

"Amora, what have you done!" Loki screamed into her face as he shook her arms furiously. She looked taken aback, and a vague part of Loki realized that no one in their right mind would have talked to the sorcerous that way, at least not anyone who wanted to remain living.

But at least she had stopped, probably more out of surprise at Loki's sudden outburst more than anything. Her eyes narrowed at him and she wriggled her wrists in his grasp as she tried to free herself. "Have you gone mad in captivity Loki? Has the isolation turned your brains to mush? What do you think you're doing," she screamed at him. "She is an inconvenience, nothing more than a loose end that happened to walk in at the wrong moment that I was ridding us of!" At the last sentence she managed to break free of his grasp, then immediately brought up her hand to land a loud and harsh smack across Loki's face. This surprised him, and he took a step back out of instinct more than thought. He rubbed his stinging cheek at for a second they both stood glaring at each other, before his attention snapped to the prone figure on the floor.

Sigyn was sprawled helplessly on the floor where she had passed out. She looked for all the world like a doll that had been abused by some cruel and careless child. Her neck was at an odd angle and Loki felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought of her neck having snapped as she hit the ground. He knelt beside her and gingerly felt her neck looking for broken bones, but there was nothing out of place, she had just been contorted into an unnatural position because of the pain she had obviously been under. He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief at this, to which Amora raised an eyebrow, and he carefully turned her on her back so she could lay at a more natural position.

He tried to assess the damage to Sigyn, she was still breathing but he had no idea what kind of magical damage Amora had done to her. She had meant to kill her, and if he had not intervened she would have succeeded. Loki brushed Sigyn's hair back from her face. It had been in a loose braid but her thrashing about had made it come undone and it twisted about her like some strange dark halo. She was also incredibly pale and there were bruises forming on her cheek and head where she had hit the ground. There was also a faint trickle of blood starting to leak from her nose and ears and he feared that there was much more damage to her than he could see.

He felt Amora's breathe on the back of his neck before she spoke. "Or maybe some other part of you has become mush, eh Loki? Or perhaps in this case some part of you has become hard?" She laughed into his ear and he felt himself flush as she knelt down beside Sigyn as well. Amora reached out and grabbed the hem of Sigyn's dress which had ridden up during her struggle, and it exposed her legs all the way up to her thighs. For a moment Loki thought Amora was going to straighten the dress out, but he forgot that it was a devious sorcerous he was dealing with. Amora reached out her other hand and started running her fingers along Sigyns bare and vulnerable flesh, beginning at her ankle (which bore an ankle bracelet Loki noted) and began slowly caressing the smooth thigh as well. Loki smacked at her hand before she dared to go any higher and Amora laughed at this and stood up with a triumphant look on her face.

"It seems she has at least kept you occupied Loki, I knew she was a serving girl but I did not think you would ever take so common a girl as your whore." She laughed and gave a spin as if she was a dancer and this was all some great game they were playing. "I just touched her to see what was so special; at least she has smooth skin that's pleasant to touch." Loki said nothing but glared at Amora. Let her think that he was using Sigyn, it made more sense for him to protect a woman he had claimed as a lover than someone he had barely touched. One of those reasons made sense, the other was madness, and Loki himself did not fully realize why he had saved Sigyns life. But the look of pain on her face when Amora had attacked her was, for whatever reason, more than he could bear. It had turned his gut in a way he was not familiar with and stopping Amora from killing her was more instinct than anything conscious.

He reached out his hand and touched delicately touched Sigyns cheek. It was a small touch, he only used the bare tips of his fingers to touch her as if afraid that a firmer touch might break her or cause more damage. "Perhaps my brain has turned to mush," he said under his breathe, quietly so no one else but he and the fallen figure on the floor could hear him.


	10. Chapter 10

Consciousness did not immediately return to Sigyn, she remained in some kind of terrible state between being awake and being asleep. She could hear voices, and she knew who those voices belonged to, but she couldn't quite understand what they were saying. She was also completely numb but she could feel that that was changing rapidly. A dull throbbing was moving along her entire body, in perfect sync to every heartbeat. As the pain became stronger she became aware of the light shining through her eyelids. Sigyn let out a tiny groan of pain and opened her eyes. She was still too stunned to really understand what she was seeing and she lay there staring at the ceiling without comprehension.

And finally the full pain of her injuries hit her. The pain was still concentrated in her lower back but it was also radiating out to her entire body, it felt like her organs were bruised and trying to come apart. She screamed then, she couldn't help it, the pain was piercing and immediate and it forced her on her side where she curled into a ball. She didn't know that the attack had been stopped and she was desperately trying to protect her already injured body.

Loki jumped back as she had regained consciousness and screamed upon waking. It had been a shock, but now he knelt back down at her side and gently placed his hand on her head. She looked up at Loki but her eyes were unfocused and hugely dilated from the pain she was feeling. "Sigyn, can you hear me? Can you move," Loki asked her as he brushed aside her hair from her face. She nodded her head.

"Could you help me up, please?" She brought up a shaking hand and Loki took it and helped her unsteadily to her feet. She was unbalanced, and she couldn't seem to focus because she kept shaking her head as if to clear her vision. She wobbled and Loki wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sigyn pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes. "What happened," Sigyn asked Loki, with her hands still over her eyes. "You were attacked," Loki brought her closer to his chest and wrapped his other arm around her and embraced her.

She felt incredibly light against his chest, as if the pain of the attack had taken something substantial out of her body. Suddenly Amora was there, and she reached out a hand and gently stroked Sigyns' hair before grabbing a handful and pulling her head back so she could look her in the eyes. "Amora!" Loki snapped at her and would have slapped her across the face if he hadn't had his arms wrapped around Sigyn. Amora brought her face close to Sigyns' and breathed onto her cheek. "I attacked you, you pathetic serving wench." Sigyn simply looked back at Amora, if she was feeling any pain from having her hair pulled she did not give Amora the satisfaction of seeing it. "You're Amora." Sigyn said it quietly and it was a statement and not a question. Loki did not even know that Sigyn knew the sorcerous. "Good, you know who I am. And thus, you know what I am capable of." At that statement Amora let go of Sigyns' hair and her head snapped back and fell against Lokis' chest.

Sigyn set out a painful sigh as her head was still buried in his shirt. "You are going to kill me aren't you? Both of you are going to kill me." Sigyn didn't even bother to lift her head as she said it. She was still too weak from the pain and she didn't even know if she could defend herself if she needed to. But she would try; she wouldn't go quietly if she could help it. Loki pulled her away from his chest and held her at arm length so she was forced to look into his eyes. "No, I am not going to kill you, and neither is Amora," he shot her a warning glance at this and Amora gave a quick and sharp laugh at his expression.

Sigyn somehow managed a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes as if she didn't believe what he was saying. "What is it that both of you are planning? You're going to try and escape aren't you," Sigyn asked the both of them. She took hold of Lokis' hands and gently pried them loose from her shoulders and took a step backwards. The pain was still throbbing but at least she could stand on her own feet. Loki was reluctant to let her go, he didn't relish the thought of her blacking out and hitting her head against the stone floor. "If you try and escape, where does that leave me? Am I a loose end that you need to dispose of or am I your hostage?"

"I've decided that you're to be our hostage Sigyn," Loki answered her and then shot a look at Amora that meant she wasn't allowed to argue. Amora simply smiled and put up her hands in mock defeat. "We have devised a means for escape, but if it goes ill then you will be our leverage," Loki explained to her. Sigyn smiled this time, as if she had finally been let in on a joke and managed a small laugh. "Really? And what kind of bargaining chip do you think that I'll make? I volunteered for this because I am _expendable. _No one would think twice about letting me die, especially if it meant keeping you as a prisoner." She shook her head at them. "It would be better for you if you just killed me."

Amora smiled at that admonition and began to walk towards Sigyn. "Good, then I will finish what I started." But Loki got in between them to stop her from getting any closer to Sigyn. "Stop it! If I want her as a hostage then a hostage she will be, for all we know she's lying in an effort to rid us of a potentially valuable asset." Amora gave Loki a look that was equal parts disbelief and frustration.

She walked up to Loki and jabbed her index finger into his collarbone which made him wince with pain. "You have always been a shrewd man Loki, and for that reason only I am following alone with what you ask. But if I think for one second that your little slut," and she pointed at Sigyn for emphasis," then I will personally snap her neck like a twig." She said it all in a hurried and exasperated huff, then immediately turned and walked to the center of the room before turning around and facing Sigyn and Loki. "And now, let us get started, the day is wasting."


	11. Chapter 11

Sigyn sat with her back against the wall, and she tried very hard to pay attention to what was going on around her. Both Amora and Loki had moved to the center of the room and appeared to be involved in some kind of intense spell casting. Loki had only looked back at her once, giving her a brief and concerned look before turning to the task at hand. Sigyn drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to stop the shivering that had taken hold of her a few minutes ago. She was alternatively cold at some moments and hot at other times. She gripped her knees tightly and tried not to think too long about what would have happened if Loki hadn't stopped Amora.

She looked over at the door on the far wall. She had thought about making a run for it, but she would have to get past Amora and she wasn't sure if she was fast enough. Besides, if the guards outside the door hadn't heard her scream then it probably meant that the entire room was under some kind of enchantment that concealed what going on inside the room. Or, it meant that Amora had either incapacitated or killed the guards. She desperately hoped that wasn't the case. Sigyn shook her head and looked back at Loki and Amora. If she wanted to get out of this she was going to have to use her wits.

Loki stood with Amora in the center of the room with his arms outstretched in front of him trying to concentrate on a particularly complicated spell. All the while he was aware of Sigyn leaning against the wall even though he wasn't looking at her. He was worried, which was bad. He needed to be utterly focused, but the worry was gnawing at his gut; not only for himself, but also for Sigyn. Loki wasn't sure why he was worried about the safety of some insignificant serving girl, but he was. At least he could convince himself that he wanted her alive to keep her as a hostage. Even though what she had said was probably true, that her life wouldn't mean anything as a bargaining chip when compared to keeping him a prisoner, but then again she could be lying.

Amora stood in front of Loki, her eyes closed in utter concentration as she slowly rotated her right hand in a figure eight pattern chanting so silently under her breath that he couldn't make out what she was saying. But then again he didn't have to understand it, he just had to cooperate. Besides, in his weakened state he couldn't cast a spell even if he had wanted too, all Amora needed from him was his energy and concentration. Suddenly a small point of light began to form in the space between them right under Amora's hand that was casting the figure eight pattern in the air. Amora smiled slightly and began to chant faster while her movements became more muffled, as if she was suddenly moving through water. The light became brighter, then brighter still and took on a pale and throbbing blue twinge as it grew in size. Finally, when it had reached the size of a small apple Amora stopped chanting and reached out and grasped the glowing ball with her left hand with a small triumphant laugh.

Loki immediately fell to his knees and dry heaved onto the floor. He felt sick and drained, but at least the spell had worked. Amora nudged him slightly with her foot as if he were an insect or perhaps a sick dog. "Did it take that much out of you my dear former prince? You should be thankful that the only thing I required from you was your energy and concentration and not something more draining," Amora said as she lifted up the glowing ball like it was some kind of trophy.

Loki felt a slight touch on his shoulder and knew it was Sigyn. "Are you alright," she asked as she stood next to him on unsteady feet. He looked up at her and winced before nodding that yes, he was fine. Sigyn looked even paler than before, and to his horror blood was beginning to leak out of her nose and even her eyes. A shot of adrenaline went through his system as he thought that she might even be dying. Perhaps he had been too late to stop Amora from killing her after all.

Sigyn smiled down at him as if she was reading his thoughts and then helped him to his feet. Even though she looked terrible he couldn't help but notice a defiant look in her eye. It was if some invisible fire had been lit behind her eyes and Loki thought briefly that Sigyn was stronger than he gave her credit for. Hurt as she was the look in her eyes let him know that she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Sigyn turned and looked at the blue glowing ball that Amora held aloft in her hands. "What exactly does that do? Besides cast a pretty light." Amora glared at Sigyn and jabbed her index finger into the injured womans collarbone as she grasped the ball with the other. "This glowing ball, you stupid little girl, is a potent magic. As long as it is whole and shines with light every last living thing in Asgard will be asleep."

Sigyn grunted as Amora jabbed her in the collarbone but otherwise she didn't move. Instead she raised one eyebrow as if she was impressed with the magic, and Amora smiled at what she thought was admiration. "But what good would that do? Even with everyone asleep you have nowhere to go." Sigyn took a few steps closer to Amora to seemingly get a better look at the blue ball.

"Because, that's not the only thing that it does. Once outside the cell we will make our way to the remnants of the rainbow bridge and cast it out into the void, making a temporary bridge that we can cross to another world." Amora smiled at Sigyn while explain this, as if she relished not only the sound of her own voice but also at hearing her own plan out loud. Sigyn nodded solemnly as if she was impressed. "But what happens after that? To the people of Asgard and to me? Will you let me go free and will the others awaken? "

Amora merely gave a faint shrug as she held the ball in front of her. "Honestly, they might not wake up at all, and you my dear Sigyn, well you might follow this glowing ball into the void," Amora smirked at her and looked her in the eyes to gage her reaction. Sigyn met her gaze and gave a sad little not, and then suddenly and faster than Loki would have thought possible given her condition, Sigyn hit Amoras hand that was holding the magic so that it flew up into the air. Loki and Amora watched it soar up into the air with their mouths twisted into giant O's of surprise. Then just as quickly sigyn stepped closer to Amora and punched her in the gut with surprising strength so that the sorcerous doubled over from the pain, and in another smooth motion grabbed the ball as it fell through the air and ran for the door and was through it before Loki really even registered what was going on. And then he began to laugh, he couldn't help himself. Deep heartfelt laughs that forced him to sit back down again for fear of passing out, watching Sigyn punch Amora in the gut was the funniest thing he thought he had ever seen.

Outside in the hallway Sigyn ran for her life and desperately tried to come up with a plan.


	12. Chapter 12

The first place that they checked for their escaped hostage was her own room. Loki had been sure that her chambers were not that far removed from his own and his intuition had proved right. After Amora had picked herself off the floor and Loki had finished laughing that is. He was glad that the sorcerous was in a weakened state, he knew for a fact that no one had ever laughed at her and escaped unscathed. And she was furious as well, something that Loki had never actually witnessed. Her face was bright red with frustration and the veins throbbed in her neck from the feelings that she was suppressing. Loki did not doubt for a moment that if Amora caught up to Sigyn that she would be killed, and he was not sure he would be able to stop her.

When they entered Sigyns' room Loki was struck first with how the presence of Sigyn permeated the atmosphere. Even though the room was small and sparsely furnished it was comfortable, and there were dozens of books that lined the room. They were stacked on the bedside table, on the bed, and on the tiny workbench that occupied the room. Amora, after seeing that there was no place in the room for Sigyn to easily hide, immediately went to the small wash room off to the side. From the cry of frustration that he heard from he knew that Sigyn wasn't there either. Loki went to the tiny bed and sat down among the rumpled sheets. The bed spread itself was a pleasant light lavender color and it still smelled faintly of Sigyn, left over perfume and soap that had seeped into the covers. He crossed his legs and randomly picked up a book that was sitting next to him and flipped through the pages. It looked to be a book on herbal medicine, and as he looked at the other books around him he could see a variety of topics; from history to science and anthropology. It appeared that Sigyn had a wide range of interests, and he felt a surge of regret that he had never spoken to her more.

Amora came out of the wash room and began to look through the workbench, taking out drawers and overturning their contents. Glass shattered on the floor and spilled their contents onto the carpet. Loki winced and said nothing; she was being destructive simply for the sake of being destructive. Perhaps if she tired of destroying Sigyns' possessions then she wouldn't destroy Sigyn herself. After the workbench Amora moved to the small chest that no doubt held all of the clothes Sigyn owned. Amora flipped open the lid and took out the first dress she could find, a brown one, and started ripping it to shreds. Loki sighed but didn't try to stop her. Instead he sighed and put down the book, stood up from the bed and went to stand next to Amora. He thought she might be satisfied now that she had destroyed one dress but she didn't stop until all the contents of the chest had been shredded. Loki sighed again and massaged his temples. He was getting a headache. Either from the situation or from using up too much energy he wasn't sure.

Amora was breathing heavy but had at last seemed to exhaust herself. She turned to Loki and grabbed the lapel on his shirt and brought his face close to her own. "If she is not here, where do you think she could be? It's not as if she could run far in her condition, which I have every intention of making worse once I find her," Amora spoke softly as if she too was feeling the lost energy.

Loki shrugged and moved her hands off his shirt so he could step away. "I don't know where else she could be, but perhaps we should split up, it would double our efforts. If she is as wounded as we think she is perhaps she would have gone to the halls of healing? Even without anyone to help her she still has some knowledge of medicine." Loki said this slowly and carefully, so Amora wouldn't realize that what he wanted was to find Sigyn first. The only way to do that was to make sure that Amora wasn't around when he did find her. Amora smiled and nodded.

"You're right, the little wretch surely would have gone to the halls of healing," suddenly her eyes narrowed as she looked at Loki," but I will go there myself, you should check further along the hallways in case she collapsed while running," Amora said. Loki smiled and nodded at her as she said that, as if he had no problem with this. Actually he was fine with this, he knew it seemed that Sigyn would have gone there first, but he also knew that she would expect them to think the same thing. So no, he did not believe that Sigyn was there, but Amora underestimated the serving girl so he knew she wouldn't be thinking this. The only thing that Loki had to do was figure out where she could possibly be, and he honestly had no idea.

In actuality Sigyn had not made it very far, she was in worse condition than even she realized. Once she had run as far down the corridor as she could she fell down and began coughing up blood onto the floor. But she couldn't stop though; she immediately picked herself up and tried to think of a safe place that she could at least hide. The spell that Amora cast had seemingly worked on everyone, at least everyone in the palace, everyone she came across was sound asleep and had fallen flat against the ground. She stopped and tried to shake a few guards awake but it didn't work, so she stopped trying to wake them and hurried down the corridor. A few of the guards even appeared dead. They had fallen asleep while walking down some stairs and had fallen and broken their necks. Sigyn had knelt beside them and tried to feel a pulse, but their bodies were already growing cold. She chocked back a sob at these lives that had been cut short but had no other time to morn them.

Her injuries finally forced her to slow down and she stopped and sat down in the center of the hallway, clutching the blue orb to her chest. She realized that she needed to come up with a plan. First of all, she needed to tend to her wounds which were getting steadily worse. Blood was leaking out from her nose and eyes now, and even her ears had a trickle of blood that kept seeping into her hair. She wished she had filled her pockets with medicinal herbs like she had in the past, or even stopped at her room, but she knew that would be the first place Loki and Amora looked. She could make her way to the halls of healing but she was certain that they would look there next after the realized she wasn't in her room.

So what did that leave? Where was some place she could have access to herbs and medicine without going to the healing halls? The answer came to her suddenly; she could always try the kitchens. They always had a supply of herbs at hand, they were for cooking of course, but with her knowledge of herbology she could at least manage a poultice. Not to mention there were bound to be some aid kits around for when a cook was burned or hurt. She could find bandages and painkillers. She nodded to herself. It was a start at least. Sigyn pushed herself back to her feet and began to make her way to the kitchens.


	13. Chapter 13

Sigyn congratulated herself on thinking of going to the kitchens for several reasons. One reason was that they did have medical kits scattered around the room, but she also probably prevented a large fire from overtaking the palace. With people passed out where they had stood, it meant that they could have been in the middle of some kind work or other dangerous activity. Like the poor guards who had broken their necks when they fell down the stairs after the spell took effect. So that also meant that the cooks and other kitchen staff could have passed out on stoves or fallen on knives or other sharp instruments. Luckily, no one was dead or seriously injured (except for one poor cook who had a slight head wound from hitting the ground) but she had walked in to find the stoves turned up to full blast and whatever they had been cooking had been boiled or burned away to nothing

Sigyn had hastily turned off the stoves and opened the windows to let out the building smoke. Sigyn coughed and hurried to each and every fallen victim, she knew she couldn't wake them up but she had to make sure they were at least alright. Everyone seemed to be ok, and she moved a few of them around to make them more comfortable as they had fallen at awkward angles. She knew she should tend to herself first instead of wasting energy helping others, but she couldn't bring herself to leave them laying there so vulnerable. Finally satisfied that everyone was as safe as she could possibly make them, she set out tending to her own wounds. Even though she had no outward signs of wounds, once she found bandages she lifted up her dress and carefully wrapped them around her midsection and lower back. Even though she wasn't bleeding now, she might later, if her bloody nose and eyes were any indication. She also filled her pockets with them just in case. There were painkillers and antiseptics which she took, and cleaned off the blood around her face.

She then set off around the kitchen, finding different herbs that she could mix together to make an herbal remedy that might help heal some of the damage that was done to her. It wouldn't be a permanent solution until she got help from someone with real medical knowledge, but it would be enough until then. Sigyn swallowed her herbal remedy and felt almost immediately better. She hadn't known how much pain she was in until some of it was gone. It was still there, dull and throbbing, and much more manageable. She stopped sweating from the pain and she felt herself calm down. She took a few deep and steady breathes and felt better than she had in hours. She was even beginning to feel hunger pains, and if her body was feeling good enough to beg for food then perhaps she would be alright after all.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her and Sigyn felt her legs wobble as she tried to take a few steps. She shook her head but it only succeeded in making her dizzy. Sigyn knew that in her condition she probably shouldn't sleep….she had no idea what would happen if she did. The same way someone with a head injury might slip into a coma, perhaps the same would happen to her. But her body seemed to have other ideas; it was in pain and demanding some rest from the horror of the day. Sigyn sat down slowly and propped herself against one of the stoves she had turned off, it was slowly cooling after she had turned it off but it was still deliciously warm. Her eyelids were becoming heavy and she knew that she didn't have a choice in whether she was able to stay awake or not. At least she was safe, for now at least. Surely it would take Amora and Loki hours to find her? It was enough time to rest….and with that Sigyn faded into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

After Amora had finally left him and gone off to search the halls of healing, Loki simply sat down in the middle of the hallway. He sat there, cross legged as the cold from the floor slowly started to make his legs go numb. But he did not move. He was thinking. Besides, he had no wish to expend valuable energy searching the halls for the runaway Sigyn when simply utilizing some brain power would make the whole process so much easier. He was glad that Amora, for all her power and cunning, was surprisingly impetuous and petty. If she was thinking clearly she might have realized that he was up to something. Loki would move after he had carefully thought about where she would have gone, if he did not it could take hours (if not days) to find her in such large a place. That is if she wasn't dead….but Loki wouldn't think that. He had seen the fire behind her eyes before she ran off. He was certain that she would stay alive. And if she did die, he was equally as certain that she would have hidden the magic sphere someplace that they would never find it. So he had to believe that she was alright.

Loki shook his head and closed his eyes and tried to imagine what the serving girl would do. She was in pain, that was certain, and no matter how tenacious her fighting spirit might be her injured body would force her to slow down. His eyebrows narrowed in concentration; if it had been him he would have gone to a place to recoup his powers. The libraries, his workshop, or anywhere that might have a concentration of energy he could drain or absorb if he was desperate. But Sigyn wasn't a magic user. So what did that leave? She was an avid reader, perhaps the royal library? Still, probably not, there was nothing she could use there to heal her wounds. Sigyn used herbs though; she had mixed some for Loki not that long ago when she was worried about his health. So she could have reasonably gone somewhere where there were herbs available.

Loki smiled; at least he was getting somewhere. If Sigyn used herbs to try to tend to her injuries that would narrow down the list of places she could be hiding. The most obvious place would be the gardens and other greenhouses that were used for the growing and harvest of medicinal plants and flowers. But they were on the other side of the palace, and they were near the halls of healing. Loki knew if Amora didn't find Sigyn in the healing rooms that would be the next place she would look. Plus, he was certain Sigyn wouldn't have gone that far. She would have chosen someplace closer, more obscure, and the last place they would think to look.

Loki smiled and stood up from the cold floor. Of course! He should look for her in the kitchens! It wasn't too far, and he was certain that they had some supplies that a talented holistic healer like Sigyn could use to help heal herself, even if there intended use was for cooking. It was obvious now, and Loki silently thanked Sigyn for thinking through the situation even in her damaged state. If she was in the kitchens (and he hoped that she was) it would have been the last place Amora would even think to look for her. He just hoped that he was right; and that Sigyn was in the kitchens, and that she was still alive, or that he wasn't too late.


	15. Chapter 15

The first thing Loki noticed when he was walking towards the kitchens were small droplets of blood on the ground. He stopped and knelt down; there was only one person whose blood this could be. With everyone else under the spell and fast asleep it couldn't belong to anyone else but Sigyn. He supposed it could belong to an animal, but it seemed unlikely, animals weren't usually allowed inside the palace grounds unless they were guard dogs. Loki swallowed and tried to steady his suddenly racing heart. He knew Sigyn was bleeding, when she had run off she was bleeding freely from her nose. But it didn't bode well for the injured girl. Surely she would have stopped to bind her wounds if they were that serious?

Also, he thought Sigyn was too clever for this. She should have realized that sooner or later he or Amora would have found the blood trail. Perhaps she was just in too much of a hurry to notice the small droplets that had hit the ground? Still, he couldn't leave this here for Amora to find. Loki knelt down on his knees and took a firm hold of the sleeve of his shirt and pulled. It took a few tries but the sleeve came off after a few sharp tugs, and he used it as a rag to mop up the blood. Now the trail would be harder for anyone else to follow.

Loki stood up and clenched the now bloody shirt sleeve in his hand. He suddenly felt unsure of what to do. There was nothing he could do if she was seriously injured. He was currently drained of energy and powerless, and he knew nothing of healing magic. Loki scowled at the bloody sleeve, as if he expected it to give him any answers. Perhaps if he ever got out of this situation he could learn some healing magic. Maybe even Sigyn could teach him some herbal medicine….but Loki shook his head at the thought. Even when he found Sigyn there was no way he could take her with him, the best he could would be to keep her alive and protect her from Amora. But why even do that? Why was he so worried about this girl?

Loki wouldn't let himself think of any possible answers. He was sure the answer would be unpleasant, either for him or Sigyn. The girl was an unfortunate distraction; he couldn't let her be any more to him than that. Yes, the best thing he could now was find Sigyn; keep her somewhere safe, reclaim the magical orb and get out of Asgard. Loki hurried along the corridor now, increasing his pace now that he was certain he was going in the right direction. Once he could look into Sigyns eyes he knew he could come up with a plan to keep her safe.


	16. Chapter 16

Loki stopped short of the entrance to the kitchens and paused to catch his breathe. He had run part of the way; he wasn't sure why he would have done such a thing. Why push his body for more exhaustion? It made no sense; he should have paced himself better. But the thought of Sigyn lying beyond the door, whether hurt or not, was causing his heart to flutter uncomfortably.

He placed his hand over his heart and felt it beating against his chest. It was a reassuring sound, muffled by skin and clothes but a constant reminder that he was still alive. Right now it was a pumping a staccato beat against his ribs in a way that had nothing to do with his recent jog. Was he frightened? Was he scared to find Sigyn beyond the door, hurt and him unable to do anything to help? Or what if she wasn't there at all? What if she had been cleverer than he had thought and created a fake blood trail to lead him astray while she went in the opposite direction?

Loki moved his hand from his chest and placed both hands on the kitchen doors and gave them a solid push, he wouldn't learn anything if he stayed outside in the hallway. He was rewarded immediately with the smell of burnt food and lingering smoke. He wrinkled his nose distastefully and tried not to gag. The first thing he noticed immediately was the people laying on the ground. Of course he had seen dozens of people in the hallway (including some guards with broken necks) but that's not the reason he noticed them. It looked as if they had been arranged, as if someone had attempted to make them more comfortable while they suffered under the spell. One of them, a man with an apparent head wound, even had a poultice applied to a cut on his head. Loki smiled and scanned the room more thoroughly. It was obvious Sigyn was here, or had been here recently.

Loki wondered briefly if she was hiding somewhere, but that thought quickly left his head when he finally spotted the young woman, propped against a stove. She looked deathly pale and Loki rushed to her side before he even realized that he was moving. He half expected her to try to run away, or at least look up at him in surprise. But she was fast asleep, with her head resting against the side of the stove, her chest gently rising and falling with each small breath she took. Loki let out a sigh, half of relief and half of irritation. He knelt down and was ready to shake her awake, but he stopped suddenly. She wasn't going anywhere at the moment, and in all honesty she could probably use the rest.

He had no idea about when Sigyn slept or ate, for all he knew it had been days since she's rested. And she was still very pale from her injuries. He was happy to note that the blood had been wiped from her face, and he could make out the faint outline of bandages wrapped around her midsection. This worried him; she hadn't been bleeding from there when he had last seen her. Yes, it was probably better to let her rest. Even if she tried to run he could easily overpower her. He might be without magic but he was still physically stronger than the serving girl, and with her being injured she would be no match for him. With that thought in mind Loki sat down opposite of Sigyn and watched her sleep. If she didn't wake up in an hour he would shake her awake, he had no intention of waiting around for her all night.


	17. Chapter 17

When Sigyn finally did awaken, she didn't even try to open her eyes. If she was honest with herself she wasn't ready to face reality yet. She let her eyes remained shut and simply listened to the sound of her own ragged breathing. The sleep had done her good, but while her mind was rested she was all too aware of the damage to her body. But she would get through it, she didn't have a choice. She wasn't ready to lay down and die. Besides, what about the others under the spell? They could die if she didn't try to help them.

So she sat there, trying to think of a plan with her eyes carefully closed and brought her hands to head to massage her scalp. Her hair was already matted and dirty and she wondered briefly if she should brush it. That's when she heard a cough from somewhere in front of her. Her eyes snapped open and she instinctively jerked back and her shoulders hit the stove with a jarring bang. She let out a gasp as she saw who it was…it was Loki. Her heart leaped in her chest and she gripped the glowing magical orb closer to her chest, as if she were a mother protecting her child.

Loki was kneeling, not five feet from her and he laughed at her reaction. "My dear Sigyn, I can honestly say that's the first time a woman has had that reaction upon waking up and seeing my face." Sigyn starred at him. She didn't know how to feel, or even think at the moment. Even now her heart was racing at the sight of him, but this time there was fear along with the butterflies in her chest. She was afraid of Loki, she had no idea what he was going to do to her and she knew she didn't have the strength to put up much of a fight.

Sigyn coughed violently suddenly and she could taste blood at the back of her throat. Loki stopped smiling and came to sit next to her, she didn't even try to move, and there was no way she could run from him. He reached out his hand and gently touched her back as if afraid she would break. She stopped coughing and looked him in the eye. "So what now Loki? Are you going to kill me? Is this it?" at least her words were clear and she was proud that she still carried a defiant tone in her voice even if her body was weak. Loki didn't move his hand, but he didn't answer her either. He turned his head from her and looked down and moved his hand to her upper arm where he gently gripped her. When he turned back to look at her there was sadness in his eyes that she had never seen, it un-nerved her and she didn't know why. He had always been cocky and sure of himself. Now….he seemed so much more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. Sigyn had to resist the urge to hold him, or kiss him. She swallowed instead and waited for him to answer. Loki brought his face very close to hers and took his other hand and turned her head so he could whisper in her ear. She could feel his breathe on her neck and it made her shiver from more than just fear. "I am not going to kill you Sigyn…I am going to save you."


	18. Chapter 18

Sigyn tried to smile but it failed on her lips and became more of a grimace. "Loki…you can't save me." She shook her head and gripped his hand that held her. "In case you don't remember, there is a very powerful sorcerous out to get me, and you don't have any powers." Loki winced at what she said. There was truth in those words, but he was a resourceful man, he could think of something. He mentally kicked himself for not coming up with a plan before actually finding Sigyn. It wasn't like him at all, he was usually several steps ahead of everyone. Thinking of Sigyn was clouding his brain.

He finally smiled at her, with what he hoped was a charming smile, a smile he had used to win over many other girls in the past. If the smile had any effect on Sigyn she didn't show it, she just looked at him with a vague look of amusement. Loki found it a little annoying, he had never come across a more vexing woman. He cleared his throat and went to put his arms around the girl and she let out a small gasp. He laughed. "Don't worry Sigyn! I am just helping you to your feet alright?" He gripped her gently and firmly and helped her stand up. She was slender and light and his arms circled her easily. She wobbled a little and kept her arms around Loki's neck. Sigyn stood at last and took a step back, but kept a hand on his shoulder as if she was still unsure of herself.

She let out a tiny laugh and Loki wasn't expecting it so he looked at her concerned. She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry..it's just, this wasn't how I expected my day to be." She grinned at him and Loki felt himself grin back at her. He almost wanted to put his arms back around her, and he didn't know why. Loki coughed and cleared his throat and gave her an appraising look. "If it's any consolation Sigyn, it isn't how I expected my day to go either."

Sigyn laughed again and let go of his arm and turned around to face the room. "I see that you lost Amora somewhere, how long till she comes looking for you? And Me?" Loki crossed his arms and leaned against a table. "She is looking for you Sigyn, she went to the halls of healing looking for you, but I figured you were too clever for that." Sigyn gave a small laugh at that but didn't turn around to face him, she seemed to be deep in thought. When she did turn around she had a curious look on her face. "So Loki, how are you intending to save me? Did you have a plan?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Actually no…I was too busy trying to find you to think of an actual plan. " He stopped and brushed back his hair and lowered his eyes. He felt suddenly embarrassed. Sigyn just gave him a small smile and nodded her head. "Then lets come up with one together, two heads are better than one after all." She stopped and looked thoughtful for a second. "Loki…are there any places that you've never seen Amora visit?"

He thought for a minute, he knew Amora was a proud woman, there were many places she didn't go because she thought they were beneath her. He thought he knew what she was hinting at. "I know there are many places…are you suggesting that I hide you in one of them?" Sigyn nodded. Loki scratched under his chin and gave a small laugh. He couldn't think of anything at all, and here the girl was coming up with a plan even in her wounded state.

She suddenly snapped her fingers and a bright look came into her eyes. "We can go to the stables! I'm sure she's never been there!" She looked at him expectantly and he realized she was waiting for him to affirm her idea. He thought for a moment before nodding yes. Amora hated animals, she would have never gone near the stable if she had a choice. Sigyn smiled at him and he could see the fire returning to her eyes. "Then that's where we'll go, the place is huge but I know my way around, I used to play there as a child." She took a few steps towards Loki and gripped his hand. "But I might have to lean on you for support, if you'll let me." Loki gripped her hand in his and nodded, and tried to ignore the rapid beating in his heart.


	19. Chapter 19

Sigyn walked down the silent hall of Asgard, and she held onto to Loki's waist. His own arm and hand were encircled around her midsection, but he kept his eyes straight ahead and did not say anything. Sigyn was silent as well. But she was also listening, perhaps for the sound of approaching footsteps in case Amora tried to sneak up on them.

She was also acutely aware of the man beside her. A smirk crossed her lips as the sheer hilarity of the situation gripped her. At any other time the sight of her walking so close to a Prince of Asgard would have caused a stir, even before he became a criminal people would have stared and gaped. Sigyn wouldn't have dreamed of being so close to him until now. He even still smelled faintly of the bath he had taken, just a few hours ago. She had taken one too, but now she smelled of sweat and some vile smelling poultice she had rubbed on her wounds.

She shook her head. If this had been a normal day she wouldn't come near anyone in such a filthy state. But this was far from normal for her..or for Loki. She quickly scanned the hallway, hoping to see the next turn off that would lead them to the stables. They also hadn't seen very many people which she was thankful for. She had stopped at every fallen body to make sure they were alright, or re-arrange them so they would be more comfortable. Loki said nothing when she had done this. He simply crossed his arms and gave a quiet scowl, waiting for her to finish. She knew what he was thinking, that they didn't have time for this. And it was true, they had no time to spare, but Sigyn couldn't help herself.

She looked up at Loki as they were walking and gave him a lingering glance. So he was going to save her, was he? If it had been a few months ago she would have relished the thought, now she was skeptical at best. She shouldn't be so trusting with him, but at the same time she realized she didn't have a choice. Sigyn turned her attention back to the long walk in front of them. Whatever happened she would try to be ready for it.


	20. Chapter 20

Loki kept his arm firmly around Sigyns shoulders, not because she had any trouble walking anymore, but because he honestly thought that she might bolt at any moment. He was surprised she had even gone along with him and agreed to his plan. She hadn't been in any position to reject his idea. But still, he had expected her to at least try and protest. This made Loki suspicious, he didn't think that she was a dumb girl; in fact he was certain that she was quite clever.

He suspected that she had some ulterior motives. What they might be still eluded him; perhaps she was just going along with his plans until she could get away. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and Sigyn looked up at him curiously. He gave her a slight smile to reassure her, "It's nothing, I was just thinking."

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a quizzical look. "What were you thinking about? It must have been distressing, you had the most terrible scowl until a moment ago," she said then turned her head back to the path in front of her. Loki shook his head again. The sooner he could get Sigyn to somewhere safe the sooner he could take the magic orb from her and leave this place. He wasn't worried about the lives of the other people in the palace, but he didn't want Sigyn to get hurt. He glanced back at her when he was certain that she wasn't looking. Maybe he should take Sigyn with him? What kind of life would she live here anyway? In a deserted palace, inhabited only by the ghosts and corpses of the dead, it wouldn't be any life at all. In fact he was sure that would be Hell for her, to be constantly reminded that she had failed to save any of the people she had known all her life.

He unconsciously gripped her tighter as the thought of it tied his stomach in knots. No, he couldn't leave her here. She would have to come with him. Of course, he had to convince Amora that they didn't need to kill her, which would be a feat in and of itself. Once that was out of the way and they were safely away from Asgard and any retribution, he would tell Sigyn that no one had died in their escape. This would be a lie of course; many people would die if the final spell was able to be used to ensure their escape. If she knew that she had a hand in the death of thousands, albeit unwillingly, there was no way she would ever consent to be with him.

This line of thought was starting to make him ill. Why did he even care about Sigyn? Did he really want her? Or was she just something that vaguely intrigued him that he would discard once he found something better. Mentally he shrugged, even if he discarded her later, for now he wanted her and that was good enough to justify his actions.

Suddenly he felt Sigyn's shoulders tense and he looked at her with slight concern, only to see that she was simply pointing at a pair of large and ornate double doors at the end of the hallway. "There! Beyond those doors is the outer courtyard and the stables are just a little ways further on." She sounded excited, and she moved out of Loki's embrace but took his hand and rushed them both to the doors.

She practically laughed when she pushed them open to reveal the outside. It was raining slightly outside, and the day was grey and overcast, but she looked out into the weather as if it were a sunny day. She turned and looked at him with a small smile. "I think this is a good idea, she'll never think to look for us here." She took hold of his hand again they went out together in the rain towards the stables and, what Loki hoped, would at least be a temporary sanctuary.


	21. Chapter 21

Sigyn kept a firm grip on Loki's hand as she rushed through the courtyard to the stables. It wasn't just because of the light rain that was falling on their heads, it was only a slight nuisance, what she was afraid was the fact that they were exposed out in the open. And if Amora were to walk by at just the right moment, or even look out a window, they would be seen and they wouldn't even know it. So for now, it was best to hurry. Maybe the rain would even act to their advantage, shielding them from being seen.

Sigyn reached the stable doors first and breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened easily. They were usually never locked, and luckily they were not locked now. Loki pushed on the door as well and with their combined strength it opened enough for them to slip inside and then close the bar the doors behind them. They stood still in the gloom of the stables, there were never any torches burning in them during the say, it wasn't good to have fire around so much wood and hay. During the day they relied on natural light, but with the rain outside very little was coming through.

She let go of Loki's hand and rubbed her eyes, trying to help adjust them to the darker room. Even though it was a nuisance, this too would help hide them from Amora. She looked up and grinned at Loki, even though he couldn't see her expression in the darkness. Loki crossed his arms and gave Sigyn what she assumed was a questioning stare. She gave a small laugh, she couldn't help herself, and she reached over and took him by the shoulder to lead him off further down into the stables.

He didn't resist and she wrapped her arms around his waist so they wouldn't lose each other in the gloom. There were people in the stable, it took a lot of man power to house and feed so many large animals, but fortunately they all seemed to have fallen onto something soft. Many of the stable hands had fallen into hay bales, and there were a few guards slumped over a table where they had apparently been drinking ale and playing a round of cards. Their alcohol had spilled all over the table and soaked the cards, and the guards even snored loudly and obliviously as they slept under the spells power.

She was glad of this. She was certain that if she searched the entire castle there would be more people dead. Fallen down stairs, drowned in baths; or a myriad of other things that could have happened to people who were awake one second and asleep the next. She shook her head and tried not to think about it. The best thing she could do was find a way to break the spell and wake everyone before more damage would be done.

She resisted the urge to look at Loki. Sigyn did not know what they would do to him if he was caught again. He had been incredibly lucky so far, many people wanted him dead. It was only the devotion that Thor still felt for his brother and love his parents had for him that he was even still alive. If he was caught now he might be killed, and she couldn't protect him. She felt her chest tighten at the thought of something happening to Loki. There was not much she could do really. Maybe she should let him escape? But if she did that then she would have committed high treason. She had no doubt that she would be killed; there was no one powerful to protect her. Suddenly she felt very tried and tears tried to come to her eyes. Perhaps the only solution was to let Loki escape, and to go with him. If she did she would never be able to return home. The dishonor she would bring upon her family would be disastrous if it was ever found out that she went willingly.

She slumped suddenly, feeling more exhausted then she had before when she slept in the kitchens. Loki gripped her quickly. "What's wrong? Can you walk," Loki whispered it next to her ear. Sigyn squeezed his arm reassuringly. "I'm ok; I guess I couldn't find my footing in the dark." She couldn't see his face but she assumed he believed her, or he just didn't want to press the issue. He gave a small nod and that was the only acknowledgement that she got from him. So she kept leading them off into the darkened corridor, looking for a place to hide.


	22. Chapter 22

Loki felt like cursing, or punching the wall. Instead he gritted his teeth and was surprised that Sigyn didn't comment on the fact. His eyes were taking far too long to adjust to the gloom of the stables. The serving girl didn't seem to be having that problem; she led the way through the stables with the ease of someone who was very familiar with her surroundings. He wondered if perhaps she also worked here before she volunteered to be his servant in captivity. Or maybe she had friends who worked here? Or maybe she just liked horses. Whatever the reason, Loki knew if he didn't have a hand on Sigyn's shoulder that he would have run into a pole, or walked into an empty stall and gotten lost or knocked himself out.

He cast Sigyn a sidelong glance and could just barely make out her silhouette in the darkness of the building. He needed to talk with her soon. He had to convince her to give up that magic orb if he was ever going to escape. He should just take it by force he knew, he could easily overpower her. In fact Sigyn wasn't being very smart at the moment. He could throw her against the wall, or strangle her, or do any matter of things to her while she was injured and she couldn't put up much resistance.

So why didn't he? He had hurt people before, killed before, and some of them had been women. But even as he thought that he knew he couldn't do it, or wouldn't. Even the kindness that she had showed him and the patience justified him at least trying to reason with her. And to convince her to join him in the escape. Violence would be a last resort, even if it made him uneasy to think of hurting Sigyn.

Sigyn squeezed his hand suddenly and stopped, and Loki had to jerk himself to a standstill to keep from plowing into her. "Here, we can hide here." She said and pointed up to somewhere above them with her hand. He squinted and made out a wooden ladder that he honestly would have missed in the darkness. She let go of his hand and reached out and placed her hands on the ladder, already starting to climb with the sure footedness of someone who had climbed it before. She was halfway up before she stopped and gave him a sidelong glance when she realized he wasn't following her. "Come on up, this is where they store the hay, we can be relatively safe up here for a while." And with that she turned her attention to the ladder and finally disappeared up and over the ladder onto the loft where apparently they kept the hay. Loki stood for just a second longer then walked to the ladder and began his own climb upwards.

He still could barely see, and he was glad that it didn't require much sight to climb straight upwards. It gave him a strange sense of vertigo to be climbing in this darkness. He wasn't sure how far he had to go really, and a sense of unreality started to creep in. Not being able to see where he was going or where he had started made the climb seem longer than it really was. So he unintentionally let out a gasp when he reached the end of the ladder and tumbled into the hay loft. He lost his own footing immediately and went knee first into the soft and sweet smelling hay. He heard a giggle and looked over to see Sigyn next to him. In her hand she held the small glowing blue orb, and it gave off just enough light to see where he was and make out the girls features. He resisted the urge to snatch the orb out of her hand, not because he wanted to orb at that moment, but because he was upset she hadn't had the orb out before. If it gave off light she could have used to better see where they were going in the darkness of the stables.

She grinned down at him and giggled lightly once more, so softly that he almost couldn't hear it. She held out her hand to him, the one that wasn't holding the orb, and he took it and pulled himself upright and dusted off the hay that clung to his knees. "Just follow me, alright?" She whispered while holding the orb close to her face so he could see her. And with that she turned and carefully walked along the hay and floorboards to some unknown destination. Loki scowled and followed her, he was tired of walking. He wanted to ask her where they were going, but as soon as he opened his mouth to say something they seemed to arrive. It was like a tiny fort. But made of hay. Perfectly square and made of hay bales and it looked big enough to hold at least three people. It looked surprisingly comfortable and well-built actually for having been supposedly made by children.

"Yes, I am glad it's still here," Sigyn commented and ducked down and made her way into the hay fortress. "The children make these, last time I was here they were just building this one," she added and then turned and motioned for Loki to follow her. He didn't move immediately, just stared at Sigyn. Then he grinned and followed her inside and sat down beside her and sat cross legged. Even though it offered no protection whatsoever it still made him feel oddly safe. He hadn't felt this way since he was a child, playing with Thor. At the thought of his brother he felt sad, and angry, and empty, so he pulled up his legs under his chin and tried to think of something else. He had a task at hand. He needed that orb from Sigyn and to convince her of his plans. He was certain that he could make her believe him and do what he wanted. But then again she wasn't like most women, and she was clever. If she saw through his deception he would be forced to take the orb and leave Sigyn behind.

But that being said, he still wanted to have her with him when he left Asgard; he had gotten used to her presence. That wasn't a lie, and maybe that one small grain of truth was enough to make whatever he said believable. He looked over at Sigyn but she wasn't looking at him. She was staring at nothing, just looking out into the darkness with the blue light from the orb casting an ethereal glow on her face. In that moment she looked beautiful. Not just her face, but the look in her eyes as she thought deeply was captivating. She was lovely, but for more than just anything physical. It was something that she radiating, something intangible, and something unique. So for now he just stared at her, because he couldn't think of anything else to do at the moment.

Then she moved her head to him, and he involuntarily jumped. He hadn't realized that he had been so absorbed in watching her, so when she moved he wasn't expecting it. She tilted her head to the side and regarded him intently. "I believe that it is time that we had a talk Loki." She said it softly, but in the stillness it sounded louder than it should have. He gave her a slow grin and nodded. "Yes my dear, I think it is time that we talked."


	23. Chapter 23

Sigyn unconsciously gripped the glowing magic orb tighter in her hands, when she realized what she was doing to loosen her grip. She was certain the orb was incredibly tough, and that only magic or a magic item could destroy it, but she wanted to be careful regardless. For all she knew breaking the orb prematurely would still kill everyone in Asgard. She swallowed loudly and tried to think of how best to approach the subject. Meanwhile Loki simply gave her an amused grin, it seemed he already knew what she was going to say and it would take every ounce of her intelligence to convince him that this idea was folly. But would he ever willingly go back into the cage from which he had been freed?

She narrowed her eyes. She didn't have any time for self-doubt. The lives of many were hanging in the balance. Also she didn't know what the long term effects of staying asleep for so long would be. Surely if enough time passed they would die from dehydration and starvation, she couldn't hand feed every single person in the palace while they were unconscious. Just the thought of that spurred her to say something.

"Loki, I am sure that you probably already know what I am going to say." Loki didn't say anything but his grin did widen and she knew that she was going to be in for a fight. She moved closer to him, hoping the proximity to him might make him more receptive. "I just need you to understand what will happen if you leave Asgard, and the consequences that you'll leave behind if you do." Loki still didn't say anything but he was smiling wider now, even if the smile didn't reach his eyes. In his eyes she could tell he was rapidly thinking of a different argument, one that would make him the victor. Sigyn looked him straight in the eye, hoping that would distract him from whatever he was thinking. "People will die Loki, people that you and I have known all your life. Besides, I know it does not seem like it, but your family is really protecting you. They could have left you on earth to be executed, and if they couldn't kill you they would lock you in a box somewhere to be studied for the rest of your life. And there is a more pressing concern. Have you not once thought about the Chitari? Don't you realize that it is the power of your father and brother, and the might of Asgard, that keeps them from claiming you?"

At that revelation Loki's smile disappeared completely and a very deep real fear flashed behind his eyes. He paled at the thought of Chitari, and Sigyn put her hand on his shoulder to steady him. He looked so vulnerable in that second that she desperately wanted to hug him, but resisted the urge for fear of him snatching the orb out of her hand. She squeezed his shoulder. "I know this imprisonment is torture for you, but it could also end! If you leave now you'll never redeem yourself, you will be a fugitive forever."

She was about to say more when Loki suddenly brushed off her hand, and the sudden movement caught her by surprise and she started to panic. His head was down and he stayed still for several seconds before looking back up at her with a large smirk. "So…my brother and parents are keeping me safe, are they? If this is their definition of safety then I want nothing to do with it." He kept smiling at her, at there was a hint of violence and mania in his voice and in his eyes. She regretted ever bringing him here, the thought hit her suddenly, her feelings for him were clouding her judgment and she felt as if she were facing a tiger that; once she had thought tame, was about to rip out her throat.

Her eyes darted to the opening of the hay Fort and she wondered if she could make it out in time. Loki saw her eyes move and he laughed at her. "Don't even think about running away, this talk has been a long time coming my dear Sigyn." He said the words with such venom that she turned and looked back at him and clutched the orb closer to her chest to protect it. "I am going to leave this place. Today! My brother and Chitari be damned! I will not stay locked up like a dog." He moved then, quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders so she was forced to look him in the face. "And you will come with me, I won't leave you here. I will deal with Amora; I don't need her anymore now that the escape route has already been mapped." He gestured at the orb she held.

Sigyn stayed very still when she finally decided to speak. "Why would you take me with you Loki? What do I mean to you? I am just a serving girl, I wouldn't make a good hostage, or do you want me for something else?" Loki just stared at her and she saw the uncertainty flash across his face, and she realized he didn't really know why he wanted her with him either. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. She was taken by surprise and had opened her mouth to scream, but Loki must have mistaken it for enthusiasm because he forced his tongue in her mouth and she wasn't able to say anything. She shook her shoulders to free herself but Loki pushed her back into the hay and continued kissing. Sigyn kept a firm grip on the orb which was clutched to her chest, so it and her hands kept their torsos from touching. She was afraid to let go, she was sure he could try to grab it.

Loki stopped and held her then, bringing his mouth close to her ear so when he whispered she could feel his breath against her skin. "Why aren't you kissing me back? I thought you wanted this too." Sigyn closed her eyes and felt ashamed of her body, the way her heart started to beat faster and she felt herself getting warmer at his touch and attention. But she knew she was stronger than this, her heart might be weak but her will was strong. She just had to remain in control of herself.

So she reached out grabbed the first thing she could find to hit Loki with, but all she could find was hay. She tossed it into his face, a halfhearted attempt at freeing herself. Loki winced as the hay hit his face and tangled itself in his hair. He hesitated for a brief second then burst out laughing. His grip loosened and she pulled herself away, watching him laugh afraid he had gone mad. "Sigyn! You are too much…really. Did you honestly think a handful of hay would save you from my kisses?" He fell back and laughed great and sincere bouts of laughter and she would have joined in to; if she still hadn't been afraid he was going to tackle her again. "You are one of a kind Sigyn, really you are." He sat back up in the hay and regarded her, and she felt as if that was one of the few sincere things he had ever told her.

"If that is true then don't try that again Loki, otherwise I'll hit you with something more substantial than some hay!" As she said that her heart rate was beginning to slow, even though she was still wary of his intentions. "I can't leave with you. I won't leave so many to die, even if it is to save you." She glared at him; he wasn't even looking at her anymore. He was staring with rapt attention out the front of the hay fort, his head cocked to the side as if listening to something and his nose raised like a bloodhound. When he did look at her it was with a deadly serious expression. "Sigyn, I smell smoke."


End file.
